Building construction



Aug. 11, 1942. R. J. MARTIN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Apljil 13, 1940 .Ill

FIG. 3.

BY Raymond J.

JM WM ,w 651291-70 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 11, 1942 U N i TE D T'ES 'ANT OFFICE Application April 13, 1940, Serial No. 329,506

2 Claims.

a structural combined spandrel plate and flashing which is capable of supporting masonry thereabove and of permitting leakage to be drained to the outside of a building from points within and behind a structural beam with which my spandrel plate may be effectively combined.

I realize the foregoing general objects and other and more limited objects which will be explained hereinafter, in and through the construction and arrangement of the parts shown in the drawing hereof, wherein Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a portion of a masonry wall of a building having an extended opening for a window, door, or store front and showing my spandrel plate cooperating with a structural beam as a means for supporting the portion of the masonry wall which will be erected thereupon and thereabove; Fig. 2is a perspective view of a portion of the spandrel plate which is shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View through a portion of the building wall extending above a door or window opening and showing the arrangement within th said portion of the wall of my spandrel plate and the cooperating structural beam; and Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Fig. 2, of a modified form of spandrel plate.

Describing the various parts illustrated herein by reference characters, I denotes the portion of a masonry wall which is located below an extended door or window opening 2. This wall may be composed of bricks, as illustrated, but it will be understood that my spandrel plate is equally adaptable for use in similar wall constructions of Various thicknesses wherein other building materials may be used, such as stone, tiling, reinforced concrete, and the like. The wall illustrated herein is of the thickness of the width of three ordinary bricks and comprises an outer course 3 of bricks laid lengthwise therein and two inner courses 4 of bricks also laid lengthwise therein, together with bonding bricks 5. This form of wall is shown for illustrative purposes, it being understood that my spandrel plate is adapted for use with walls of other materials and differing in dimensions from the on shown herein. Extending across the top of th opening 2 is the upper member 6 of a door or window cas- -cient.

ing, with the upper front members! of the door or window located beneath the member 6. The member 6 will be a rough blocking of sufficient thickness and strength to support th portion of the wall thereabove.

IE] denotes generally the spandrel plate shown in Figs, 1, 2 and 3. This plate is a structural member preferably having a thickness of from 1% to /2". Where my spandrel plate is made as a casting, it is preferable to use the greater thickness and where the plate is made of pressed steel or other structural metal, it is believed that an approximate thickness of T55" will be sufii- This plate comprises in general an upper and inner vertical flange portion H, an-intermediate horizontal flange portion I2, a vertical flange portion I3 and a lower and outer horizontal flange portion M. In the preferred form of my invention, the plate is made up of alternating sections A and B extending transversely thereof, the upper surfaces of the sections A being elevated above the upper surfaces of the sections B whereby the depressed sections afford means for draining leakage and seepage from the interior of the wall to the exterior thereof. In practice, the upper surfaces of the sections B may be depressed approximately 1- 6" below the upper surfaces of the sections A.

I prefer to have the bottoms of the sections of the flange ID in the same plane and also the bottoms of the sections of the flange M in the same plane; and in the embodiment of my invention shown herein, th flange portion I0 is of a width to enable it to coincide with the width of the two inner courses of the wall.

Cooperating with the spandrel plate is a structural beam C, which may be an I-beam, as shown, or a channel beam. The bottom flange l5 of such structural beam rests upon and is secured to the upper surfaces of the sections A, A Of the plate. A convenient manner of securing the said flange to the said surfaces is by spot welding, as indicated at 16. However, any other practical manner of securing these parts together may be employed. It will be noted that, when installed, the vertical flange ll extends upwardly behind the flang of the structural member to which the plate is secured and is substantially flush with the inner surface of the wall l thereabove; also that the lower horizontal flange l4 forms a support for the bricks 3 in the outermost course of bricks in the portion of the wall extending thereabove.

As shown in Fig. 1, my combined spandrel plate and structural beam C may also be used in association with a vertical structural beam or column, such as the I-beam or column indicated at D, the web of the beam C being united to one of the flanges of the beam or column D, as by means of angle plates or brackets I1, and the bottom of the beam or column D resting upon the top of the flanged portion ll! of the spandrel plate.

With the parts constructed and arranged as described, it will be evident that my spandrel plate not only serves as a support for masonry thereabove, but as a means for draining any moisture or seepage from the inner portion of the wall, behind the flange of the beam C, to a point adjacent to the exterior of the wall.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modification of a spandrel plate shown in the preceding views wherein the flanges H [2 I3 and M correspond in general shape and arrangement with the flanges H, l2, l3 and M of the former spandrel plate, and wherein the plate is made of metal of the same thickness throughout its extent. The means for draining seepage in this case consists of grooves l8 which extend transvers'ely of the plate.

In both forms of my invention the spandrel plate is made as a structural member which is capable of supporting unassisted at least part of the masonly wall thereabove and at the same time serving to drain water that may be present in the Wall thereabove and that may seep downwardly from a point adjacent to the inner surface of the wall and for delivering the water thus drained to a point adjacent to the outer surface of the wall. In other Words, my spandrel plate is capable of performing as a single unit the joint functions of supporting the masonry as a structural member and also of draining water from behind other structural members with which it may be combined, thereby enabling it to accomplish the same object as usually requires the employment of two or more separate members, with consequent reduction in the costs of material, fabrication, and field labor. Still further, it is capable of performing these functions without breaking the masonry bond, as is apt to happen where ordinary flashings are employed separately from and in addition to structural members. Furthermore, both forms of spandrel plate shown herein are adapted for attachment to the bottom flange of a structural beam thereabove and to cooperate with the said beam in supporting the portion of a wall which extends upwardly above an elongated opening for a door, window or store front.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is:

1. In a head structure of the class described,

the combination, with a structural beam having a web and one or more flanges projecting from said web and being of a length to span an elongated opening for a door, window or store front in a masonry wall, of an integral combined structural spandrel plate and flashing also adapted to span the said opening, the said spandrel plate comprising an inner vertical flange, an openended horizontal flange, a second vertical flange projecting downwardly from the outer end of the horizontal flange and a second horizontal flange extending outwardly from the bottom of the second vertical flange, the said plate being provided with depressions extending entirely thereacross and below the upper surfaces of the horizontal flanges thereof, and means for securing a flange of the said beam to the upper surface of the first mentioned horizontal flange of the said plate, the upper surface of the second mentioned horizontal flange of the said plate providing means for supporting the portion of the masonry wall thereabove.

2. In a head structure of the class described, the combination, with a structural beam having a web and one or more flanges projecting from saidweb and being of a length to span an elongated opening for a door, window, or store front in a masonry wall, of an integral combined structural spandrel plate and flashing also adapted to span the said opening, the said spandrel plate comprising an inner vertical flange, an openended horizontal flange projecting outwardly from the bottom of the vertical flange, a second vertical flange projecting downwardly from the outer end of the horizontal flange and a second horizontal flange extending outwardly from the bottom of the second vertical flange, the said plate comprising alternating raised and depressed sections extending transversely thereacross, the depressed sections providing means for receiving and delivering water from theportions of the wall thereabove to a point adjacent the exterior of the wall, and means for securing a flange of the said beam to raised sections of the first mentioned horizontal flange of the said plate, and the raised sections of the second mentioned horizontal flange of the plate providing means for supporting the portion of the masonry wall thereabove.

RAYMOND J. MARTIN. 

